Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1887-03-02
MEXICAN GIRLS
How the Budding Senoritas OF Our
Sister Republic Arc Educated.

The scholastic course of Mexican
girl OF aristocratic family is finished
before she Is fifteen. at which age she
Is considered "marriageable." The
wife of General Santa Anna was
welded to that willy ruler whom Amer
leans remember as ''the Butcher Of the
Alamo," when only thirteen-and nu-
merouS brides in these later days are
scarcely older. 1t must be remembered,
however, that girls mature early In the
tropics-and in corresponding ratio
grow old much sooner than IN the
colder North. Though Mexico abounds
In single women of mature age, one
never hears OF ian old maid" for to
remain forever unmarried entails no
such stigma here as attaches to un-
mated women of other lands. II her
lonely condition Is alluded to by these
polite people, they speak of her with
some kindly phrase indicating that STA
probrdcita" (the poor. dear thing) has
been ''hard to please"
The custom of engaging accomplished
foreign gOyernesses or native tutors to
instruct young girls at home is gaining
ground among wealthy families in
Mexico, because to send a budding
senorita. over ten years Of age, to
day-school-even in the family CARR.
age, accompanied by maid who never
loses sight Of her till she is safely re-
turned to the parental casd-is looked
upon as an alarming stretch Of the pro-
prieties. In the days of conyentual
the daughters of well-to-
do parents were usually placed in
charge Of the gentle sisterhood, gener-
ally entering the convent schools at an
early age and remaining until old
enough to marry. Since the banish-
ment Of nuns and monks from Mexico,
a great many private schools and semi
naries have been established, wherein
girls are duly misunderstanding to
Mexican ideas. The acme OF their ac-
complIshment Is to become good lin
gusts and excellent musicians and to
acquire a smattering Of history and
general literature, placing them about
on par with the correspondiR = class
in France and Spain. But tHey are
never cultured to the Bostonlan point
in the classics or occult sciences, their
simple requirements being such as
shine to best advantage in the home
circles.
Mexican ladies Of high degree are
never educated with view to utilizing
their accomplishments for gaining a
livelihood IN any possible reverse OF
fortune, for under no circumstances
are they expected to assist in their own
the old Spanish custom
which obliges gentlemen to provide for
all their destitute female relatives AMI
20 shield them absolutely from contact
with the world, still prevails among
The upper classes, Notwithstanding the
TACT that nearly a century of foreign
wars and internal revolutions have
made it difficult task In many instan-
,es and forever debarred from matri-
nony the scions of proud but impoyer-
shed houses.
As a rule, pdter fdmilidS does not EN-
courage much reading Of DookS-ex-
cept OF religious character-amOng
he women Of his flock, and certainly
lst the general run of newspapers
'uch as are found in every Northern
'amily. He believes not only that "a
title knowledge Is a dangerous tkfng,"
md might lead TO tat pernicious
strong. g.mindedneSs" which he i'm
lgines affiicts most ladies in the United
that literally ignorance is
,liss'' in their appointed sphere If
lot marrieI at once when escaped from |
chool restraints, sometimes the mother |
n some elderly femali relative under
axes to instruct the daughter in those |
domestic duties which matrimony en- |
ails, bccauSe-whether rich or poor
N the day of her marriage she will go |
o home Of her own, which the ex- |
'ectant bridegroom must previously
,rePare.. To that end she is taught TO |
,repare delicacies for the sick and re-
reshiHg medicinal drinks, to make
lulcies, jellles and dainty deserts; and
by way Of practice, Is
,iven for season the entire manage
nent of her fathers household. l
ave heard OF cases where she has even
'rdered all the provisions, paid the
ervants, provided ratlons for the car
Iage horses and looked over the coach
mans bills for shoeing, etc.-in short,
,ept thorough account OF all domestic
but these instances are
rare.
Domestic life among the upper class
S in Mexico is charmingly simple, and
eally worthy Of imitation as contrasted
With the lives OF some of our ''society
aides" with their summers at water
ng places and winters in Europe, their
eglected homes and ceaseless round of
xpensive gayety. A professional
'eauty" would not be tolerated here in
ood society, and married belle would
peedily find herself ostraciZed as an
improper character.
A Funny Old Bey.